Internet usage is growing rapidly. The Internet and the World Wide Web (hereinafter "Web" or "WWW") are used to provide information for a variety of goods and services, associating vendors, agencies and the like to such goods and services. Vendors, for example, are advertising their respective products on Web pages. Likewise, municipal agencies and organizations which sponsor cultural events, e.g., the symphony, are using the WWW to advertise and promote their services and/or functions.
However, there is a need to associate geo-positional information with WWW-advertised goods or services so that users can find the respective agency, vendor and/or organization to purchase and/or utilize such goods and/or services. By way of example, if a sporting goods store has a Web page that advertises a new sale of tennis rackets in a downtown urban city, such information is typically usable only if the users of the Internet can actually locate the sporting goods store at the downtown location. Although the store may or may not include a local address on the Web page, there is generally little positional information locating the store relative to other landmarks or streets within city.
This problem was addressed in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/371,425 entitled "System and Methods for Remotely Accessing a Selected Group of Items of Interest from a Database," filed on Jan. 11, 1995. The application particularly describes techniques for locating a selected category of items of interest in a geographic vicinity and relative to a geo-defined position. For example, a user in downtown Boston can access an Internet port located at point "A" and identify all the locations of sporting goods stores relative to point "A."
This Internet "port" is not, however, readily available to a wide number of users, pedestrians and the like. Users with personal computers (PCs) can of course access the Web through a phone connection and appropriate Internet software, or Web browser; except that most tourists and pedestrians do not carry a portable computer. Further, even if a user carries a portable computer, the location and access to an active phone jack and phone connection is also not readily available. Certain hotels and airlines with traveler clubs do offer connectivity to the Web; however the vast majority of users are simply unable to connect to the Web via a convenient Internet "port."
There is, therefore, the need to provide access to the Internet which is convenient to many users and not just to those, for example, (a) who have portable PCs and a live phone line, (b) who "borrow" a connected Web port from a facility such as a hotel or Internet cafe, and (c) who connect to the Web via a PC satellite uplink. Rather, a Web port is needed which provides convenient access to many users, particularly in the vicinity of those who advertise on the Web, so that these users can have real-time information and geo-definition associated with the Web page, including, for example, a vendor's geographic location, the types of products and services offered by the vendor, and any associated advertising and business information that could be of interest to the user.
Once an individual gains access to the Web, other problems exist. For example, many users are constrained by the data bandwidth of the Internet connection and of the telephone wires connecting the user to the Web site. More particularly, analog phone lines are generally limited to about 28.8 kbs due to the limited bandwidth of twisted-pair phone wire. Digital systems, such as ISDN, and Local Area Networks (e.g., Ethernet) provide enhanced data throughput capability. Nevertheless, users of the Internet will still desire, at times, information at a greater throughput. For example, basic access through ISDN can provide 64 kbps transmission rates, so a typical JPEG compressed digital image of 100 kilobytes takes about 12.5s to transmit. Many users would prefer to receive this JPEG at a faster rate so that viewing can occur in near real-time.
Even though most users desire faster Internet throughput, still other individuals receive information too fast as compared to their ability to receive and to recognize Web information with cognizance. By way of example, some users at a bank withdrawal machine, i.e., an "ATM", are overwhelmed by the speed of the information presented to the ATM user. Similarly, users of the Internet are sometimes overwhelmed by the data and information presented at the user's screen terminal.
Therefore, there is a need to enhance or improve the speed of data transmitted over the Internet, if needed. There is the further need to regulate the flow of information to selected users depending upon their ability to grasp the Internet information flow. It is still another need to provide broader Internet access to those users who communicate in different languages.
The prior art Web access software is also not readily suitable for users who communicate in a language that is different from the instructions and/or Web pages shown and displayed at the access location.
It is, therefore, one object of the invention to provide convenient Web access apparatus which alleviates some of the known problems with Internet access.
Another object of the invention is to provide methods for regulating information to and from users of Internet ports.
These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the description which follows.